The present invention relates generally to door seals or gaskets and more particularly to a new and improved door seal. More specifically, the improved door seal of the present invention is to be used as a seal for oven doors, refrigerator doors, and the like wherein the seal has the feature of being easily situated onto and also readily removable from the door and, when in operation, is stretched along the surface of the door between two points of engagement under tension to create a longitudinally extending effective seal. Door seals stretched across two points engaging the door by retainer hooks have been known in the prior art. Prior art devices, however, involve many methods of securing the retainer means to the resilient seal means having several disadvantages. With one construction, reverse directed barbs are included in the body of the retainer hooks which barbs are slipped into a sleeve in the elastomeric seal to secure the retainer from releasing from the seal. This barbed construction has been unsatisfactory, however, in that the barbs tear the elastomeric material to reduce the effectiveness of the seal and also have needed relatively long body portions with respect to the hook size of the retainer hook in order to provide a multiplicity of barbs for effective holding.
Another known method of attaching the retainer to the seal is placing self-vulcanizing adhesive on the retainer or in the seal and sliding the retainer into a sleeve in the extruded silicone rubber seal. The adhesive, however, builds up around the retainer causing uneven bulky spots which affect the ability to seal at that point. In this construction, also, time is necessary for the adhesive to set and cure during which time the component can be displaced from their intended positions. The prior art retainer hooks used in such a construction again have had relatively long body portions relative to the size of the hook means involved. Also, a positive lock is not always incurred since bond failure due to variations in adhesives or improper set and cure has been known to occur. The difficulty in handling the adhesive and the expense of the adhesive are also disadvantageous, particularly in a setting in which the seals are to be mass produced.
The present invention utilizes eyelets to fasten the retainer hook through a sleeve in an extruded silicone rubber seal. The retainer hook can be smaller, use less metal, and be fastened very inexpensively to the seal in a manner very conducive to mass production. It is also believed by applicant that the eyelet creates a more consistent hold between the hook and the seal in a mass production process than the prior art cured adhesive construction as described above. Thus, the retainer hook can be smaller in size than the one held in by an adhesive. Also, because less metal is used the eyelet costs less than any satisfactory adhesive utilized in the art. And the eyelet is much easier to handle in a manufacturing process than adhesive since there is no curing cycle required during which the components can become displaced from their intended position.
Other objects and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent in the following specification, claims and drawings.